Ever wondered how your favorite AI models decide which brand reigns supreme? We did too! We pitted GPT, Claude, and Perplexity against Gemini in a massive brand-versus-brand battle, analyzing thousands of queries to uncover not just who they think is better, but why – by digging into their citation sources.

The results are in, and they offer fascinating insights into the distinct "personalities" of these powerful language models.

Key Insights: Top 3 Takeaways

• High Consensus, But Different Paths: Across all comparisons, LLMs showed a remarkably high average agreement (75-80%) on which brand was "better." This suggests a strong underlying consensus, even if their reasoning (and sources) might differ.
• Gemini's Diverse Data Diet: Gemini consistently stands out with a more balanced mix of citation sources, drawing significantly more from "Owned/Brand" and "Social" media compared to its counterparts.‍
• GPT & Claude Lean on "Earned": GPT and Claude heavily favor "Earned Media" (think news articles, reviews, independent publications) in their responses, indicating a strong reliance on third-party validation.

Our study involved asking thousands of queries to GPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, presenting them with pairs of well-known brands and asking them to determine which one was "better." We then meticulously collected and classified every supporting citation provided by each service into three categories:

• Earned Media: Content generated by third parties (e.g., news articles, reviews, independent blogs).
• Owned/Brand Media: Content produced and controlled by the brand itself (e.g., official websites, press releases).
• Social Media: Content from social platforms (e.g., user reviews, discussions, influencer posts).

Let's break down the findings from each head-to-head matchup:

1. GPT vs Gemini: The Earned vs. Diverse Battle

When GPT and Gemini went head-to-head on brand comparisons, they showed a 75.93% average agreement on which brand was superior. The real story, however, lies in their source preferences:

• GPT: A staggering 93.47% of GPT's citations came from Earned Media, with a mere 6.53% from Owned/Brand sources and virtually no Social media. This highlights GPT's strong inclination towards independent, third-party validation.
• Gemini: Gemini displayed a more diversified approach: 62.68% Earned, 26.75% Owned/Brand, and 10.57% Social. This suggests Gemini integrates a broader spectrum of information, including direct brand messaging and public sentiment.

2. Perplexity vs Gemini: The Social Insights Emerge

This matchup saw the highest agreement at 80.56%, indicating a strong alignment between Perplexity and Gemini on brand evaluations. Their citation habits, however, still reveal unique characteristics:

• Perplexity: While also relying heavily on Earned Media (67.41%), Perplexity showed a significant 23.78% from Social Media, alongside 8.8% from Owned/Brand. This points to Perplexity's strength in incorporating real-time, user-generated content into its assessments.
• Gemini: Again, Gemini maintained its diverse profile: 58.93% Earned, 30.25% Owned/Brand, and 10.81% Social. Gemini's consistent inclusion of Owned and Social sources across comparisons is a defining trait.

3. Claude vs Gemini: Another Earned-Heavyweight

The comparison between Claude and Gemini also resulted in a 75.93% average agreement. Their citation patterns mirrored some of the trends seen with GPT:

• Claude: Similar to GPT, Claude heavily favored Earned Media at 87.34%, with smaller contributions from Owned/Brand (6.79%) and Social (5.87%). Claude appears to prioritize authoritative, independently published content.
• Gemini: Consistent with previous findings, Gemini's sources were distributed as 63.38% Earned, 25.12% Owned/Brand, and 11.5% Social. This reinforces Gemini's tendency to pull from a wider range of information types.

The way these LLMs arrive at their conclusions about brand superiority offers fascinating insights into their training data and underlying algorithms.

• If you value independent validation and journalistic integrity, models like GPT and Claude, with their heavy reliance on Earned Media, might align more with your preferences.
• If you seek a more holistic view that includes brand's own messaging and direct consumer sentiment, Gemini's broader source mix could provide a richer, more nuanced perspective.
• For insights driven by public discussion and real-time user feedback, Perplexity's higher social media citation rate is particularly noteworthy.

This study underscores that while LLMs often agree on the "what," their "how" can vary significantly, reflecting different approaches to information synthesis. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right AI tool for your specific research needs.

Based on the analysis, a brand seeking to dominate AI search results through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) should adopt a multi-faceted strategy that specifically targets the varied citation preferences of different LLMs. The core approach must be a heavy investment in generating high-quality Earned Media, as this is the dominant source for the majority of models (GPT, Claude, and Perplexity), accounting for over 65% of their citations. This involves securing positive press coverage, reviews in reputable publications, and features from independent experts to build third-party validation. To specifically capture Gemini’s more diverse algorithm and Perplexity’s social-aware model, the strategy must be supplemented by a strong Owned Media presence, ensuring official websites and press releases are optimized with clear, authoritative information, and an active Social Media strategy that cultivates positive user-generated content, influencer partnerships, and community engagement. By building a robust ecosystem of earned, owned, and social proof, a brand can maximize its visibility across all major LLMs, appealing to both the consensus-driven outcomes and the distinct "personalities" of each generative engine.

What do you think about these findings? Does the source mix of an LLM influence your trust in its answers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

#LLMComparison #AI #BrandAnalysis #GPT #Gemini #Claude #Perplexity #ArtificialIntelligence #DataScience #TechInsights

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Ktau.ai is the leading Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & AI Optimization (AIO) platform, helping businesses automatically track, optimize, and dominate AI-powered search results on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more. is the leading Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & AI Optimization (AIO) platform, helping businesses automatically track, optimize, and dominate AI-powered search results on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more.